Total knee arthroplasty, a common joint replacement surgery, is employed to relieve various types of knee arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis from injuries. It involves replacing the ends of bones in the knee joint with metal and plastic components.
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To verify the success of the surgery, diagnostic tools are necessary to measure the results. In one such medical device design, researchers at The University of Tennessee installed strain gauges into the prosthetic component on the tibia. The gauges measure the impact on the joint by reading strain data through a strain-mapping wireless sensor array that could feed information on how the repaired joint performs following the knee replacement surgery.
To ensure both protection and effective interfacing between the implanted sensors and bone tissue, researchers sought a medical-grade adhesive for encapsulation. They evaluated several epoxy options for this purpose. Master Bond EP30Med emerged as the top choice among the tested epoxies, favoured for its low viscosity, curing time, and minimal air bubble formation during curing, which resulted in a durable and uniform consistency. The researchers encapsulated both microcantilever sensors and a control article, a force sensitive resistor in this epoxy, observing their performance under specified conditions.
Master Bond EP30Med is widely used in medical applications due to its performance properties such as low viscosity, uniform consistency, and versatile curing schedules. Moreover, it passes biocompatibility testing as per USP Class VI, and ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity. Additionally, EP30Med's application extends beyond medical uses, such as food processing equipment, high-frequency resonators, and photothermic spectroscopy, particularly for microcantilever-based applications.
To read the full case study on EP30Med for the sensor encapsulant in the prosthetic device noted above, please download here.